Furniture



Sept. 2, 1952 L. E. HIMELREICH 2,609,266

g FURNITURE Filed June 26, 1947 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Lav/ls E Mme/raid) QJFWM A TTORNEY p 2, 1952 L. E. HIMELREICH 7 2,609,266

FURNITURE Filed June 26, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 i a] i r 20 18 I I: i

: fi th/27 C) 7 16 l o O 27 1! c) i \I I Z4 28 26 INVENTOR Adz/15E H/Me/re/cb J I BY Mm ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1952 Louis E; Himelreicli, Louisville; Kan, assignor' t- H.1Ji Scheirich' (30., Louisville, Ky a corporation oi" Kentucky Application amaze, 1947; 7 Serial No. 75mm This" invention relates. to: articles. of. furniture having ansextensible. table on shelf; and inpartioularrelatestokitchen cabinets.

Kitchen cabinets. ordinarily, are. construct'edlof abaseportion the top of which provides a work table, andlanuppersection of lesser depth than thebase, whichis utilized for storage of various supplies or. tools. such bases are ordinarily constructed; it is not possible tor the housewife seated'at work in front of the cabinet. to easily reach the supplies or tools'lying on the'worktable. It has been proposed to overcome this: difficulty by providingfthe cabinet basewith' an extensible top; However, such tops as heretofore constructed are unstabiy supportedvin the extended or retracted' positions, and? in extended position has an obj ectional' inclination which causes round objectspiacedthereontoroll off; I

lccording-ly, it isan'" 'bject'of the present in 'venti'on to provide-a; d'esk'; table, cabinet or the like article of furniture-having-anextensibleshelf, which isnot objectionally'inelinedin extended position. 'Another"-objectis the shelf or thelike which is} firmlysupported" "in extendedor retracted-positions; a

Another object the provision of an im'proved cabinet" structure having a-ba'se withan externsible shelf or top thereon; 1 and? 'wliicliis locked against "retraction='when='iii' extended position. a Still another'object is 'to-provide an improved cabinet-structure having a s'eparab'le bas'eand top portion between which is located? an extensible to or shelf; the shelf supporting and: guiding means serving tosecurei the top: andibottom sec"- tionsiogetherx. v

:These: andv other obj ectsawilli.betapparenti from azconsideration: oithafollowing descriptionztahen in: connection: with: theaccompanying drawings whereinl have illustrated .a preferred' embodiment of; the. invention by; way of :example; and :wherein Figure 1- is av frontlelevation of. a. kitchen .eabinet embodying-theinvention; v

Figure 2 ;is-.a -fragmentary section on an enlarged scale, takenon line. II..II.of Figure 3,

Figure Bisasideview of" Figure 1 viewed from the left,

's oi i s; (c1..s12- 20.3)-

provision rat an-extensible Figure 4 is a section on an enlarged scale taken line IV'IV-'of"F-igure--1, the top section being removed and the top or shelfbeing fully retracted;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing theshelf fully extended, Figure '61 is'a plan view'of'a. detail on..an enlargedfscala. .j "7 is a bottom view "of; at detail; and Figure 8'is a SidBViGW'Of Figure 7 as:.viewed irom'the right- I 'l' he drawing" illustratesa". kitchen cabinetby way of example; and it-isto be" understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

opposite side. of-the cabinet base.

Referring to the drawings, thelowertseetion-ll of the: kitchen: cabinet carries at itsfsides.- track members I 2? and I3; which may'be'locatedvadjge centithe: top: as: shown. As these track members are. alike-in construction, only one will begdescribedin detail; The track. member l2, in the preferred embodiment-,is in the-form-ofia channel member 01 metal'or other suitable-material, and has-a horizontal flange [4; a verticalwa-lllt, and may, if desired", have a second horizontal upper; flange l6 spaced from thesflange- M. The lower. flange: M may; havestrucle out portions to form: perforate tabs: I8 and 19, and the=track member; I2. is secured to'the-lower cabinet-sec.- tion. H by screws or the like passing-.through-said tabs,- so thatthe lower flange I4" rests uporiLthe top of the: lower cabinet. section, ,However jii desired,- ;the: top side edgeioirthe.cabinetl-base may be cutawaysothatthe top-surface. oi-lowertrack or flange. M- Iies-fiush. with the-top oLthe cabinet base Or, if-.d'esir.ed,-. a suitable. slide button: or plate 20 may be secured :tothe. top of theiront leg to compensate for the thickness ofwflangelll. The track: member 13 issimilarly secured to j the 1 In. the construction: shown, the upper: cabinet section I I a is located with. its lower edge resting onthe upper flanges 16 :of. thetrack members .12 and- I3, andv is secured: in place by screws I or. the like passing. throughperforate tabs 21:; and. 22 similarly formed .iromthe'upper flange. 5. The top of the cabinet section thusiszremovablysecured to the b ase' and can be readily disconnected for transportation .as desired, and can. be readily reassembled. The height of: vertical: Wall: 15 d6.- termines-the space: between. theeupperi and lower sections of. the cabinet; and aetableetopior shelf I1 rests. upon theupper'surfacesoffla-nges. I4, the-opposite:edgess'thereof beingembracedzby'the channel members i2. and: I3. Adjacentueach: side ofzthe; shelf are: guides members; 2 3 and; 2 4- which are :suitably. secured to: the.undersiclethereot; as by screws passinggthrough holes therein, .and.:al:- ternate holes: inayr be; miovitled; if desired; to allow; for; lateral adjustment: Eacliguide member comprises preferably: a plurality; oi; offsetnfingers 251 and Zlitwhichengage thee:undersidesofifianges M: Channel members I2; I 3 preferably. extend for less-i than": thesdepth'; of thee upperrsectionzil la of the cabinet; and the fingers 251 and? preteriably are:- spaced approximately the lengthzloi flanges I4; 50' that'with'theshelf :ll inznonnal tres tracted-position-both sets offingers'z 5; zlfi engage the undersides of: tlie flanges I42 'Eingers 525,126 also preferably havevertieally extending portions 21? which; as illustrated, engage 'the upper; wall portion of the cabinet to preventor limit coclt ing of the shelf in its' SIidingniOVernent.

E Adjacent the'iorward'part or the cabinet 'hase are located dowels 28, and the underside of forward fingers 26 preferably are sloping so that they may ride forwardly, over the dowels 28 and the fingers are received between the. dowels and the front portion 29 of the cabinet base when-the shelf is lowered. In this position the shelf I! bears at the front on the top of front portion 29 of the cabinet base and its rear lies over the flanges l4, the rear fingers 25 acting to prevent raising of the rear of the shelf when a downward pressure is applied to the extended forward portion of the shelf. Also in this position the dowels 28 engage the rear edge of the forward fingers 26 to prevent the shelf being retracted, while the front fingers 26 engaging leg 29 of the cabinet base prevent the shelf from being entirely pulled out by a direct pull.

' In retracted position of the shelf as shown in Figure 4, the shelflies upon the flanges l4 in horizontal position with the rear fingers 25 engaging the underside of the flanges to prevent tilting of the shelf. To extend the shelf, it is drawn forwardly, and when forward fingers 26 reach the dowels 28 they ride thereover until the fingers drop into position between the dowel pins 28 and the front portion 29 of the cabinet base, thus allowing the shelf to be supported at the front end by the cabinet base while the'rear of the shelf rests on the flanges I4 and the rear fingers 25 engage under the flanges M to prevent tilting of the shelf when a downward pressure is applied to the front of the shelf. In this position the shelf is stable and will not rock regardless of how the load on the shelf may be shifted. The

space between flanges l4 and i8 allows the shelf to be retracted between the upper and lower cabinet sections, which are secured together by the channel members l2 and 13 so as to form a single unit.

The shelf may be removed by raising it to the dotted line position shown in Figure in which position the front finger 26 clears the top of the front leg of the cabinet so that the shelf can be entirely withdrawn if desired. The shelf is assembled by placing it in the dotted line position so that the front fingers clear the top of the front leg, and then it may be pushed back to operative position.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departure from the spirit'or essential characteristics of I the present invention. The specific form described herein therefore is to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive of the invention.

- What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1'. An article of furniture comprising an open top base portion having channel members on thetop thereof of lesser length than the depth of the base portion and providing inturned flanges, a shelf of greater length than the depth of the base portion sildably bearing on said flanges at the edges thereof and loosely embraced by said channel member to'limit upward tilting thereof, guide means on the bottom of said shelf comprising' rear and forward fingers located to engage the bottom surfaces of said flanges adjacent the ends thereof when the shelf is in retracted position, the forward edge of the base portion providing-a support for said shelf, and means adjacent'saidforward edge of said base located in the path of movement of said fingers whereby said-shelf must be lifted in moving to extended position to clear said means, said means engaging 4 lowered in extended position to retain said shelf against retractile movement.

2. An opentop article of furniture comprising a base portion having channel members secured to the sides thereof adjacent the top and providing inturned flanges on the top of the base portion of lesser length than the depth of the base portion, a top cabinet portion of lesser depth than the base portion secured in spaced relation to the base portion, a top for the base portion comprising a shelf having its lateral edges slidably embraced by said channel members and resting on said flanges and base top, guide means on the bottom of said shelf comprising spaced front and rear fingers located to engage the bottom surfaces of said inturned flanges when the shelf is in retracted position, said fingers being spaced the length of the channel members, pins adjacent the front end of said base located to engage said front fingers when the shelf is extended, in which position the front fingers disengage the flanges-to allow tilting of the front end to enable the front fingers to ride over said pins, said front fingers serving as stops engaging the front ofthe base to prevent removal of the shelf by a direct pull, and said pins engaging behind said front fingers when said shelf is in extended position to prevent retractile movement thereof.

3. An article as specified in claim 2 wherein said channel members have perforate tabs struck out and extending vertically for securing said channel membersto said base and top portion;

4. An article as specified in claim 2 wherein said front fingers have inclined lower surfaces to facilitate riding over said pins in moving the shelf to extended position.

5. An article of furniture comprising: abase portion having opposed guides, a shelf having its opposite edges slideably bearing on said guides, pairs of spaced rear and front fingers located at each side of the shelf to engage the bottom surfaces respectively of said guides adjacent the ends of the guides when the shelf is in retracted position, means adjacent the forward edge of said base projecting into the path of themovement of said front fingers, the fingers in each pair being so spaced that when said front fingers engage said projecting means they have become disengaged from said guides to allow upward tilting of the front end of the shelf in moving to extended position to allow the front fingers to clear said projecting means, said projecting means engaging behind said front fingers when the shelf is lowered in extended position to retain said shelf against retractile movement, and stop means to limit extended movement of the shelf to maintain the rear fingers in engagement with said guides.

LOUIS E. HIMELRE'ICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 1,246,313 vOtte Nov. 13, 1917 1,408,938 Hall Mar. 7, 1922 1,618,126 Himmelwright Feb.i15, 192'? 2,113,544 Haley Apr. 5 1938 2,155,654 Haley Apr, 25, ,1939 2,194,176 Yoxsimer I Mar. 19,. 1940 2,441,728

Stanitz May 18, 1948 

